Russia intends to acquire the S-500, its notional next-generation air defense system, by 2020 to defeat hypersonic missiles and sophisticated ballistic missiles, according to Russian press reports. “The S-500 air defense system is a system that will solve Russia’s missile defense problems,” Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin, Russian air force commander, said Tuesday, reported RIA Novosti. The S-500 is expected to be able to engage targets out to 600 km and defend airspace against multiple targets simultaneously, stated the Russian news service report. The news comes as Russia continues to populate its current S-400 system around Moscow and in its far East, according to a second RIA Novosti report. (See also Global Security Newswire report)
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. still “believes” in his mantra of “Accelerate Change or Lose”—and indicated the doctrinal changes it produced when he was Air Force Chief of Staff played a role in the service’s recent response to Iran’s aerial assault on Israel, he…